May29,2014

The U.S. Commerce Department designated the Puget Sound aerospace industry as one of 12 Manufacturing Communities in the country. This designation will support manufacturing job growth and economic development in the Puget Sound region. Earlier this year, Congressman Smith wrote a letter supporting this designation and after the news released the following statement:

“I am pleased the Puget Sound aerospace industry was named an Investing Manufacturing Community Partner. Our region’s aerospace industry supports over 132,000 jobs and is a huge part of the Puget Sound economy. This designation will provide the industry with more resources and preferred access to over a $1 billion dollars in federal grants, which will help strengthen the industry, create jobs, and spur economic growth. I thank the Puget Sound Regional Council for coordinating this application and all the organizations in the state who helped make this happen. This is great news for the Washington State economy.”